Falling Inside The Black
by Levity Lirum
Summary: What could have happened had Sora not gone with Beast at Hollow Bastion and not confronted Riku, Donald and Goofy for the Keyblade. Includes Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewey, Alice from American McGee's Alice and a puppy named Zack.
1. Prologue: Falling Inside the Black

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned in it.

**AN: This is a trial fic. It is currently a one-shot but may evolve into a series if I get enough reviews.**

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Sora sat on the ground long after Riku, Donald and Goofy had left him, staring blankly at his old toy sword.

A small part idly wondered where Riku had gotten the thing, but the majority was in total shock.

-Why...Why did you...you come here?-

The Beast's words suddenly rang in his mind.

-**I **came to fight for Belle.-

Hesitantly, Sora lifted his head to look up at the Castle of Hollow Bastion.

-And though I am on my own, I **will** fight.-

He pulled himself to his feet and wandered up to the castle entrance, climbing when necessary.

-I won't leave without her.-

Dulled blue eyes stared at the large doors for a few moments before he reached for the handle.

**It's no use.**

Sora's hand paused at the familiar voice.

**As you are now, you have no hope of reaching your friend.**

Sora half-turned to look at the figure, dull eyes taking note that it was the same figure he had seen that last day on Destiny Islands, in the Secret Place, before turning back to the door.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I just have to reach Kairi." Sora's voice was hollow and defeated, but his voice softened as he spoke his only true friend's name. "Nothing else matters but Kairi."

The figure was surprised, but instantly found a way to turn the situation to his advantage.

**Then step into the Darkness with me, **The figure coaxed. **Step into the Darkness with me and I shall take you to her.**

Sora blinked at the puddle of pure Darkness around his feet and released the doorhandle.

"Alright. If you will lead me to Kairi, then I will follow." The brunette promised as the wisps rapidly twined up his legs.

*****

There was a moment of Darkness as he was drawn through space to a destination by the figure.

The Darkness wasn't like Sora had thought it would be.

Now that he wasn't afraid of it anymore, he found that the smothering sensation he had felt when his world 'died' was more a warm, comforting blanket of apathy. As he was drawn out of the Darkness by the figure, the Darkness tried to cling to him.

Sora smiled sadly. _Don't worry._ He told it._ I'll be back soon. Just as soon as I wake Kairi._

The Darkness gave a shudder, but reluctantly let Sora go.

*****

When he opened his eyes, Sora found himself in a large hall, standing before a giant keyhole and beside Kairi's shell.

"Kairi?"

The words slipped from the former Keybearer's lips as he fell to his knees beside her, his hands hovering over her face, uncertain.

**She will not wake.**

Sora felt the figure standing behind him.

**That girl will never wake so long as she lacks her heart.**

There was something in the figure's voice that caught Sora's attention.

"And you know where it is?"

**Yes. Kairi's heart rests within you. That is where it fled when your world was consumed by Darkness.**

A gloved hand rose to rest against his chest and a bolt of warmth flashed through him.

"Kairi...? Kairi's inside me?"

**That is correct.**

"How do I do it? How do I return Kairi's heart?"

**With this.**

Sora turned as a warm wave of Darkness brought into existence a black and red Keyblade.

**This Keyblade holds the power to unlock people's hearts. Place it to your chest and unlock your heart.**

Sora took the Keyblade, half-expecting it to disappear like the other one had. Instead there was a steady pulse of warmth, like a heartbeat.

**Go on. Release her.**

Acting on instinct, the brunette turned the Keyblade in his hands, barely noticing when the figure suddenly vanished.

"What are you doing here, Sora?"

The boy blinked out of his daze and turned to the source of the hostile voice.

Riku's angry ocean eyes met Sora's tired eyes of sky.

Sora smiled.

"You look after her now, ya hear?"

The confusion of his three once-friends barely registered compared to the sudden pressure from the dark Keyblade being buried in his chest, then...

...Sora had never felt so light, so free.

He had just enough time to see Kairi's eyes open and the look of total horror on Riku's face before his eyes slid shut.

The sound of four voices screaming his name in unison followed Sora down into the Darkness and its welcoming, womb-like embrace.

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Review if you want me to continue


	2. Chapter 1: Whispers In The Dark

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned in it.

Because I got a few reviews, I'll continue. Also, I will be putting up a few challenges on my profile if you're interested.

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It was always warm in the Darkness.

-Sora!-

A figure twitched in the Darkness and turned away from the Light and the Voice calling to it.

The Darkness clutched the figure tighter, pulling it further into the writhing, seething dark mist of Density, hissing possessively over the form.

The form drifted down, as though through water, to settle beside the Source of Darkness.

The Source, contrary to popular belief, was not evil or any derivative thereof. The Source of Darkness was the Firstmade. It didn't know where It came from or what would happen when It disappeared, but, having watched the children who had been born into Its Darkness, It had since decided that it was most probably female, and so adjusted Its Core-Form to a female silhouette.

The Source turned Her glowing dark violet eyes to glare at the Light, throwing it out of Density with Her Will whilst drawing the form, revealed by the Light to be a naked boy of about seventeen, closer to Herself.

She had plans for this once-Keymaster.

Still looking up at the rapidly disappearing Light, She absently reached out Her inky-dark hand and gently stroked the boy's long dark-cinnamon hair.

Once the Light was completely out of sight, the Source turned Her attention to the boy.

He would need training, She knew, but where and what kind? He showed signs of great potential as a swordsman, but the silver Keymaster who had hurt Her Boy so was also an immensely powerful magic swordsman with years more experience. His capacity for magic was also enormous, but even without the silver Keymaster, both the duck-wizard and the Light Princess Her Boy gave up his Heart for were more than a match for him.

So...

What were the weaknesses of the Light's Champions?

What were the strengths of the Light's Champions?

She pulled the languid youth into Her 'lap', hand still stroking his soft hair, as She pondered.

She frowned as Her mind chased a thought.

Ah.

They almost always attacked in a group as a team; a close-knit team who knew and cared about one another. He would need people around him who cared to back him up against the increasingly aggressive Light.

And vicious; unworried by playing fair but still with honour and knowing about 'right and wrong'...

...Family was important to Her Boy, as well. And hadn't his father been a warrior? Maybe She should find his father. He should be in here somewhere...

...Ah, there he was.

Genesis Rhapsodos floated out of the gloom to settle beside the son he left behind long ago.

Sora had been barely five when Genesis had left the small island for the last time. Not long after he went mad and forgot his lover and child in a subconscious attempt to protect them.

Regarding the red-clad man for a moment, She chewed the corner of her mouth before calling to someone else. If nothing else, She supposed as a larger figure joined the line-up, Angeal Hewey could assist in Her Boy's training whilst keeping Genesis stable.

Casting about for quite some time more, The Source found someone else who, while totally mad, both adored Her Boy and could stand in equal opposition against the Light Princess.

A girl covered in blood and clad in what had been a blue dress and white pinafore drifted to a halt beside the two men.

Alice Pleasance Liddell, former Princess of Heart, who had created the Realm of Wonderland in a subconscious attempt to understand her own mind, had grown and warped, traumatized first when Sora 'died' when releasing the Princess' Hearts, then by the deaths of her family in a fire and then further driven mad by the cocktail of drugs forced on her in the Asylum.

Pleased with Her choices, She made it so none could see one another, then woke them up.

As they woke and began to look around into the black nothingness of Density, She created a replica of a Child-Sora, glowing with 'inner light', who looked up at the chosen companions curiously.

Alice recognised the replica immediately and tried to move towards him, calling his name. It took Angeal several moments of staring at the familiar child before recognition set in, speaking his name, asking what he was doing here, as if years had not passed since last they had seen one another.

But Genesis staggered back, hands clenched against his forehead, an arm swinging out as if to ward off a blow.

The Source 'paused' the other two so She could focus the replica on Genesis.

The man in red collapsed to his knees, hands still covering his eyes. On a split-second decision, the Source altered the replica to look like it had before Sora had entered Density.

"What's wrong, mister?" She had the Not-Sora ask the man who was the Real-Sora's father.

The man's head snapped up to look at the young teenager with eyes that mirrored those of the teen in sheer, startling sky blue.

The man's handsome face was etched in agony and horror and love as he stared at his 'son'.

"...Sora...?" Was all he managed to choke out.

The Source was thoroughly fascinated. She knew what Genesis Rhapsodos was like thanks to Her Shadows, but this was a reaction that was very out of character for the Red Knight. She never would have expected this reaction from him.

The replica, seeming to not have heard Genesis, reached out and put a gloved hand on the man's shoulder. "It'll be alright. Come find me in the real world. Okay? I'll be waking up soon."

That said, the Not-Sora stood, turned and walked away, seemingly fading into shadow, followed by Genesis calling his name.

The Source quickly put Sora's father to sleep, considered for a moment, then sent him to the Virtual Reality based on Twilight Town.

If the Lighters thought She didn't know what they were attempting to do with Her Boy's Nobody, they had another thing coming.

The moment Roxas came into existence, as far as She was concerned, he had a right, as a sentient being, to continue existing, complete with all the choices that came with those that were naturally born.

Besides, Roxas was essentially Sora's blond twin brother, and Genesis would be a moron not to notice the similarities.

Returning her attention to the other two, she returned the Not-Sora to the child-form and woke them.

The Not-Sora smiled up at them and repeated the message it had relayed to Genesis, "It'll be alright. Come find me in the real world. Okay? I'll be waking up soon."

The Not-Sora dispersed into darkness to be used again later.

Where to send Alice was an easy choice. Alice wound up in Halloween Town where she could fit right in and have access to not only some of Sora's allies there, but also a mad scientist.

Angeal, She considered for a time before sending the man to the Olympic Coliseum to beat the crap out of 'heroes' for a while.

It was as She was considering Angeal that the Source felt Her attention tugged to Zack Fair.

That Puppy could be talked into anything as long as it was for a Good Reason, and he would automatically attach himself to the very Cloud Strife-ish Sora given half a chance.

She didn't want Her Boy to be alone from the get-go, after all.

* * *

**AN**: The Source of All Darkness lives in Density, the plane of Matter and Mass from whence all came. She is the Mother of All Life. Then Light came and introduced Corruption via emotion. She no likey. She is, essentially, a Primal God, hence how she thinks with captials.

Review meh!


	3. Chapter 2: Comatose

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned in it.

I'm taking some artistic license with 358/2 Days characters and scenes.

* * *

Roxas first noticed the man in the red coat not long after he began running errands for pocket money.

The man had been coming out of the gap in the wall that led to the Old Mansion when Roxas practically ran him down with his skateboard. He'd just managed to swerve in time while the man leapt back.

"Sorry!" Roxas yelled back, unable to stop without risking finishing his errand late.

The man in red waved him off, glowing blue eyes following him for a moment before he moved off to the Sandlot.

The second time Roxas saw the red man was the first time they spoke.

Roxas was leaving the train station, angry and guilty that the man in the black coat had taken the munny he and his friends had needed to go to the beach, and confused because Hayner, Olette and Pence had said they hadn't seen anyone when they had been standing right there.

"I saw him."

The blond boy nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice right next to him.

The red man was leaning against the wall beside the entrance to the station, watching the sunset.

"Huh?" Was Roxas' oh-so-intelligent reply.

The man's eyes flicked to him, making Roxas wonder if they really were glowing. "The man in the black coat. I saw him."

The blond jumped to attention. "You did? Which way did he go?"

This time the man's eyes lingered on Roxas for a few moments longer, a frown marring his face, which Roxas was beginning to find more and more familiar.

The man gestured with a red-clad arm. "He disappeared into an orb of shadows. I found that rather interesting." The drifting blue eyes returned to Roxas. "What did he say to you?" He asked with mild interest.

Confused and thinking about what the red man had said about the man in black, Roxas answered without thinking. "He asked me if I could 'feel Sora'. I don't even know who Sora is."

The man's eyes became frighteningly intense when Roxas mentioned 'Sora', but all he did was murmur, "That's interesting. That's very interesting indeed..." Before walking off.

After that, Roxas caught glimpses of the man around Twilight Town, but it was during the Struggle Tournament that the teen really realized that the red man didn't belong in Twilight Town.

The man had been standing beside the pathway between the Back Alley and the Sandlot, leaning against the wall and watching the crowd with mild interest. When he caught Roxas looking at him, he smirked wickedly before turning his attention towards, of all people, Vivi.

Throughout his fights, Roxas was always aware of the red man watching the fights, so when the world suddenly stilled, his gaze went straight to that presence in his periphery senses.

The man was looking around, a frown on his face and a long red sword in hand. The man met Roxas' eyes for a moment of contemplation before his gaze shifted to behind the blond.

Roxas turned to see Vivi bouncing behind him.

He, Vivi and the red man were the only ones still moving.

Then Vivi became the white creatures from before and his baton became the black and blue key-like weapon from a few days ago.

The creatures attacked.

It was more of a scuffle than anything else, really. In between attacks, Roxas could see the red man leaning against the wall, apparently thinking Roxas could handle them, though still appearing ready to leap in should it be necessary.

It was just as Roxas landed the last blow on the last creature that he noticed the red man perk up a little, eyes focused on something again behind the teen.

"Bravo, Roxas. Fight, fight, fight!"

Said teen whipped around. An older, slender teen with ragged, spiked crimson hair, green eyes with tattoos under them and a pale pointed face was smirking sardonically whilst mockingly clapping his hands. Something twisted in Roxas' chest.

"Who are you?"

Something like pain flashed across the youth's face for a moment. "What? You don't remember me? It's me. Axel. Got it memorized?"

"...Axel?" Roxas frowned, emotion surging. "I know you...You're...my friend..."

The twist manifested into recognition, bringing with it glimpses of memory; the two of them and a dark-haired girl on the clock tower eating seasalt icecream; on an island watching the sunset from a weirdly growing palm tree as they shared one of its fruit; a dark alley as Roxas walked away from Axel, going to find-

"-Xion!"

Something pulled, like he was a lump of yeast dough pulled in half.

Xion, a girl with short black hair and his blue eyes, mirrored his position curled up on the ground, clutching her head, face a mask of shock and pain.

It was moments or eternities later that Roxas became aware that he was on the ground, clutching his head and screaming, glowing. The red man was standing over him with sword in hand, protecting him, while Axel, his (_their) _best friend, stood closer but still away, worry and indecision on his face.

Another man in red, black and brown stood on the opposite side to Axel, the man in black to his left, a Keyblade in hand, Namine hovering behind them uncertainly.

-running along a beach with a little boy with silver hair; sparring with the silver-haired boy with wooden swords while a girl with short red hair cheered from the sidelines; the silver-haired boy holding out his hand as he was drawn into Darkness ("_I'm not afraid of the Darkness!")_; the girl behind him in an old building (_"It reminds me of the Secret Place back home."); _the boy walking away with his Keyblade (_"Sorry. Your part's over now.")_-

"_Look after her now, ya hear?"_

-"SORA!"

There was an instant (_eternity_) of stillness, then-

The red man turned slightly towards Axel.

"Get them out of here!"

The man in black surged forward, his Keyblade clashing with the red man's crimson blade.

Axel grabbed both Roxas and Xion, an arm each around their chests as the Nobody lifted them and pulled back into a Portal of Darkness.

"C'mon!" Axel shouted from the opening.

The cloaked man with the red wraps was yelling, but Namine was staring in a calculating fashion before she picked up the baton the Vivi-imposter had dropped, ran up and belted the man in black in the back of the knee.

Namine continued running for the portal.

"Come on!" She urged the man in red as she went past.

The man caste a glare and sneer at his fallen opponent before turning and surging across the space with a great black wing that appeared on his left shoulder, snagging the running girl on his way past.

Roxas lost consciousness as the portal closed behind the man.

(**SPACE)**

Alice was cleaning her nails with the tip of the Vorpal Knife, legs crossed as she sat on the roof of a mausoleum, poisonous green eyes staring coldly down at the three cowering 'children'.

"Well?"

Lock, Shock and Barrel shuffled for a moment before Lock got shoved forward.

"The Duck and Dog have been coming and going from Dr Finklestein's lab for a while. We did some snooping like you said and looked at some of the books they've been looking at and..." The devil-boy glanced up at their current Boss's cold face and lost his nerve.

Shock, the witch, pipped up when Lock stuttered to a halt. "We think they're tryin' to make a copy out of Sora out of the memories of as many of his friends as they can find."

The round skeleton, Barrel, nodded rapidly. "Yeah! Yeah! But something went wrong a couple'a days ago. They lost the shell they were gonna use and the thing they were usin' ta do it."

Lock swung back into the conversation. "The silver guy said they're looking for a guy in a red coat with a black wing, a guy in a black coat with red hair, a blond girl in white, a black-haired girl in black and a blond boy who looks kinda like Sora."

"Hmm..." Alice leant forward to brace her chin on her hand, which was in turn braced on her knee, Vorpal Blade dangling from her other hand. "Keep an eye out for them. Go back to snooping and causing havoc."

Dismissed by their Boss, the three 'children' ran off, their exclamations of 'She's so cool!' and 'Lots better than Oogie Boogie!' floating in the dark graveyard behind them.

"Do you know anything pertinent, Cat?" The former Princess of Heart asked the night air.

"I know enough." A hoarse, growling voice murmured as first a set of grinning, razor-sharp teeth appeared, followed by wicked glowing yellow eyes and a skeleton-like, mangy grey cat with a gold ring in its ear and tribal markings. "Three of five have a strong connection to Dark's Child, the other two only marginally less so. You would have a better chance of finding the boy is you were with them."

Alice grinned. "It would appear, then, that we need to acquire a means of transport."

The Cheshire Cat grinned wider. "Words lie. Blood doesn't."

The girl's eyes followed they set of figures from Hollow Bastion in the distance. "Now, now, Cheshire. There is, after all, more than one way to skin a cat."

The Cat's head snapped to glare at his mistress. "A most unsavoury saying. Don't use it again."

Alice just smirked.

(**SPACE)**

Angeal clashed once again with the blond man, Cloud Strife, in the training fields.

"Hey."

Angeal raised an eyebrow at the blond as they spun apart.

"The next tournament needs a team of two or more. You in?"

Angeal flashed a grin at the man. "Sounds like fun."

"Cloud!"

The blond flashed a timeout handsign and the SOLDIER 1st backed off.

The brunette with the facial scar, some guy called Leon, approached. "We got a problem. The King says something's happened with the group looking for Sora."

As the two walked away, Angeal watched them with narrowed eyes before following at a distance.

* * *

Xion, Roxas and Axel are important.

Also, there are some challenges on my profile for anyone interested.


	4. Chapter 3: My Obsession

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned in it.

This is me setting the scenery and future plotlines into place.

* * *

Sephiroth was seated high up on a random rock formation in the World-That-Never-Was, pondering what he had overheard during a foray into Hollow Bastion to taunt his Other, perhaps kill one of his 'friends'...

What he had overheard had given him a strong sense of déjà vu.

Thinking about the Before Time was something the One-Winged Angel tried to avoid. It was a time rife with sorrow and betrayal and _love._

The last time he had felt such a strong sense of _familiarity_ had been when he first saw the boy, Sora, in the Coliseum. Those blue eyes had _burnt_ and_ echoed_ and made him_ remember _someone else with those _exact_ same blue eyes...

Sephiroth could admit to himself, even in the depths of his confused, meaningless Madness, that he had gone easy on the kid and thrown the match. Some painful emotion had seared his chest when he learnt the child had fallen.

The memories of those bright blue eyes begging him filled the madman with Regret and Guilt.

Dreams of falling into an abyss as the boy's face and voice meshed and shifted with an older face with bright auburn hair haunted his sleep, accompanied by another young face with spiky black hair and a ready smile which also seamlessly shifted to a stronger, more solemn one.

Thankfully, he didn't need to sleep but a few hours a month.

Glowing green eyes sharpened when the Shadows began to whisper around him, murmuring.

(**space)**

Zachary Fair could only remember stumbling through the cold, damp rock and moss cave smelling of cold wet rock. The weakened, almost catatonic youth with spiky hair leaning on him for support was a comfortingly familiar presence, though he got the vague impression the cinnamon brown should have been sunny blond.

He wasn't sure when, but at some point the two stumbled out of a cave and onto a sandy white beach, where the two collapsed amidst the warm sand and bright green grass.

"Hey! There's two people over here!" Was the last thing he heard before he completely passed out.

(**space)**

Repliku lingered.

Lingered because that was really the only thing he could do, too stubborn to fade as he was.

He had no use to the Organisation as anything but cannon fodder, so he had quietly slipped away with only a word of goodbye to Namine.

Every so often, Repliku would notice something small, something colourful, and his mind would conjure up Not-His memories of the laughing child his Other pined for, and he would be almost overwhelmed by longing for his Other's past.

Repliku thought his Other a moron for letting jealousy get in the way of his need for his almost-more-than-friend; a moron for wanting more than sun and sea and _Sky (-blue eyes and an adorable pout)_.

The silver-haired clone wrapped his arms around his knees, glaring balefully into one of the glowing green Soul-Pools of the Underworld as he cursed his Other to eternal misery in helpless grief/anger/sorrow.

**(space)**

Namine sat in a small lounge chair in the corner of the room, Roxas and Xion still passed out on the hotel-room bed.

The man in red, who had introduced himself as Genesis Rhapsodos, was standing by the door, arms crossed and frowning at the two teenagers in a contemplative silence.

Axel, whom Namine actually liked in an odd sort of way, had gone to report his 'failure' to apprehend Roxas, run damage control and find out what was happening.

Looking at the brooding man, Namine couldn't help but notice that Genesis had the same luminescent blue eyes as Sora, Roxas and Xion...

(**space)**

Demyx was not stupid.

He was a hyperactive, music-loving, chocolate-stealing, ADHD patient on red drink most of the time, but he wasn't stupid. He just did stupid things to see how far he could push people and see how they reacted.

He was doing a Social Studies thesis for a university in a World a few circuits over.

Which isn't to say he didn't enjoy it.

He did.

A lot.

So he was probably the first one to notice Axel acting weird. A few hours of stalking had shown that not only did the pyro know where Roxas was, but Xion and Namine were there as well.

Demyx made a mental note to break into Zexion and Vexen's now-unused labs about Xion later. He wanted to know why he had forgotten her.

Demyx then promptly started covering for the redhead.

Demyx liked Roxas. Xion and Namine were just bonus token people.

**(space)**

Sephiroth stepped out of the Shadows and into the Underworld.

The glowing green reminded him of Mako.

...Mother, how he Loathed that stuff.

A small Shadow Heartless manifested before him, looking deceptively cute and harmless.

Making sure the Man-God was following, the small Heartless led him deep into the Underworld, past Soul Pools and over Styx, the River of Hate, past the Elysian Fields and Pits of Tartarus, over Acheron, The River of Pain, and Coctyus, the River of Lamentation, following along, Phlegethon, the River of Fire, for a time, until the passed through a crevice to the banks of the Lethe, River of Forgetfulness.

Sephiroth knew that the silver-haired youth standing on the banks was not his estranged son, but they shared a face and memories...

...Though it appeared that the youth was trying to get rid of one of those two similarities.

"Stop." The former general commanded.

Repliku paused, the water cupped in his hands only scant inches from his lips; a mocking, tantalising liquid black as Oblivion.

"Why shouldn't I?" The Un-Person asked, not turning or dropping his hands.

He heard the slight shift of leather behind him, trying to match the voice to a face. The deep, dark, purring voice was vaguely familiar, but at the same time, not.

"Because we, you and I, have been called by Mother Darkness to protect and serve one of Her chosen Princes of Dark,-"

Repliku's lips curled back. He wouldn't be used again; by anyone-

"-a former Keyblade Master called Sora."

-except _him._

Sephi, surprisingly enough, suffers from survivor's guilt. I can just see that happening.

Plez review.


	5. Chapter 4: Under My Fingernails

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned in it.**

And Sora's back

* * *

Vibrant blue eyes stared up at the clear sky of the Phon Coast, cinnamon spikes fluttering in the breeze.

"Hey, Sora!"

The youth tilted his head to look down at Zack, a small smile crossing his lips. He pushed himself off the edge of the hunter's shack he was perched on and landed beside the tall brunette.

The small youth was promptly pulled into a headlock.

"I'm gonna go out with some of the hunters again, kay? We'll be back by lunch. Do you want me to bring ya back anything?"

Sora tilted his head slightly in thought, the warm sun glinting off the small vines of Shadow that edged across the left side of his face and neck. "Scales and feathers would be nice." He said, voice echoing slightly. "I'm making a Traveller's Charms."

Zack grinned cheerfully. "Sure thing, Spiky! See ya later!"

Sora watched the larger SOLDIER run off towards the group of hunters before turning his gaze back to the sea and sand that reminded him of Home.

**(space)**

Alice stalked down the halls of Hallow Bastion, Lock, Shock and Barrel giggling along behind her.

The Library should be around here somewhere.

She wanted to know more about the Princes of Darkness and what those damned Lighthuggers were planning to do with Sora and his Nobodies.

**(space)**

"I just don't think it's right, Cloud!"

The blonde SOLDIER looked away from the girl. "I know, but what can we do about it? It's not like we know what really happened back there, let alone what happened to Sora, but for a Nobody to exist..."

Aerith folded her arms around herself and looked away. "I don't trust what Riku says, Cloud. There is something in him that frightens me and it has spread to Kairi, Donald and Goofy. And that man, DiZ, is even more frightening than Riku!" The Cetra shook her head,holding back tears. "I just don't know what to do anymore, Cloud!"

Cloud drew her into his arms, unable to say anything that would comfort the woman. He thoughts turned to the Darkness at the back of his mind.

The Bond he had with Sephiroth had been oddly quiet since Cloud had found out Sora had fallen. The few times he had crossed paths with the One-Winged Angel, the fight had been half-hearted at best from the Former-General. There was little bite to the Man's verbal barbs and His behaviour had been listless and uncaring; the maniacal grin was more an irritable grimace and the healthy flush to the Man's ivory face had given way to a stretched, sickly paleness with dark circles around His eyes.

What little he could gather from the Bond, it almost felt like Sephiroth felt grief for the Keybearer's passing. A grief that had awakened an old hurt that spiralled into despair.

Cloud did not like this change in his Other's behaviour.

But a few days ago, a spark of Hope and fierce, joyous determination radiated from across the Bond.

Cloud closed his eyes and spoke into Aerith's hair.

"I will find Sephiroth. I feel he knows something..."

The figure in the shadows jerked sharply at the name.

Aerith pulled back and looked at the blonde swordsman with teary green eyes. "Sephiroth...?"

Cloud nodded, not looking at her. "In his own way, Sephiroth greived when Sora fell. But a few days ago, the apathy from His side changed to determination. Whatever he is involved with, it has to do with Sora."

The Cetra's lips tightened, but she nodded her agreement.

**(space)**

The two silver-haired figures clashed in the green-illuminated darkness of the Underworld, Sephiroth's Masamune clashing with Repliku's new Muramasa as the two sparred.

This was how Cloud and Aerith, and the shadow that followed them, found the two.

Repliku's levels had risen drastically in the short time the two had been together, rapidly approaching the same skill levels as the Original Riku, just on different skill paths. Riku had trained as some motley of Knight/Magic Swordsman, while Repliku was rapidly rising on the SOLDIER path with some Wutian aspects thrown in. Riku leant towards themore powerful elemental spells,

Sephiroth was more stable than he had been for a long time.

"Sephiroth!"

The man glanced across the Soul Pool and rock islands the two were sparing on as he sent the youth he was rapidly beginning to consider more his son than Riku.

His Puppet and Zack's Cetra were hovering at the edge of the pool, weapons near to hand.

The former general paused a moment too long to stare at the blonde swordsman and began to slip down the rock, having to jump across to a new rock to regain his balance.

…He morbidly wondered if his subconscious was trying to tell him something that Cloud looked exactly like a male version of Riku's mother, Misty...

**(space)**

Alice regarded the open scrolls she had pried from the locked safe that had been in the plastered-over wall.

The largest was a grainy, worn picture of a black silhouette of a slender male surrounded by purple Shadows, Heartless rising from the long shadow he caste, two black Keyblades in hand.

* * *

Sora and Zack are on the Phon Coast from FF12.

Review and hopefully next chapter will be longer.


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